When Sound Began
by Hammy Uchiha
Summary: Enter cousin Sasuke. Obito and Kakashi get assigned on what seems to be an impossible mission, can they do the impossible task the Sandaime has asked them to do?
1. An Important Mission

**Hmm.. this is something I've had tucked away in a notebook, and now its just a matter of typing it out. I hope I got all the mistakes. **

**Note: I don't own Naruto or Obito wouldn't have died. **

**Please could we all just pretend for a little bit, that Obito didn't die and things are a little different... **

**Please read and Review or the Cyclops will come for you, yes Sai's abs are on a vacation... **

** ---------------------------**

**When Sound Began**

By Hammy Uchiha

**Chapter 1: An Important Mission**

Obito stood, silent, remembering if only for a second, one of the most singly important people he had ever known. He could still see her smile when he closed his eyes, and the longer he thought about her the more empty he began to feel. The loss of her was nearly as bad as the loss of his sensei. He sighed. Things had changed a lot since then. He had grown up.

"Hey! Hey Obito-niisan!" Obito turned to the small voice of his cousin.

Sasuke Uchiha came running toward the Memorial stone where Obito stood. He was stumbling on at such a pace, that it appeared he was most definitely, headed for disaster.

"Woah!" he cried out, as he stumbled on the gravely path.

"Gotcha'," replied Obito suddenly catching Sasuke. The little boy laughed awkwardly. That had been a close one.

"You're fast." Obito shrugged, he'd never been the shinobi with lots of skills, but he had been trying to be a better ninja since…

"What are you doin' here anyways?" asked Sasuke hopping from one foot to the next fixing his big eyed stare on Obito.

"Paying my respects," replied Obito, hands behind head.

"Your respects of what?" asked Sasuke cocking his head to one side like a confused puppy.

"My friends," replied Obito. There was an awkward silence.

"Obito-niisan…" whined Sasuke now clutching his belly. "I'm hungry, you said we could get ramen for lunch today, remember?"

Obito had to admit it was the truth.

"Let's go then," said Sasuke grabbing his cousin's hand and dragging him back to the village.

It took him several moments but Sasuke managed to climb up onto a stool at the Ichiraku Ramen Shop (that is, with a boost from Obito)

Obito sat down on a stool next to him.

"So, what do you want?" asked Obito eyeing the menu. He'd read it a thousand times, but it was comforting to see the old worn sign still hanging on the wall, next to a picture of the ramen shop's deceased best customer. The picture of the blonde Hokage on the wall was smiling at all who stopped for lunch.

"Uchiha-san, is that you?"

Both Obito and Sasuke turned (as the speaker didn't specify which Uchiha) to see a young man about Obito's age pulling up a stool. He had grey-silver hair, his hitai-ate pulled down over one eye, wearing a dark mask.

"Hatake-san," replied Obito politely. He couldn't say he didn't particularly enjoy seeing his old teammate, but he couldn't say that he liked it either. Kakashi grinned.

"Which one of your many cousins is that?" he asked nodding to Sasuke. Sasuke stuck out his lower lip.

"My name's Sasuke Uchiha, you Cyclops," he replied sticking out his tongue at Kakashi. Kakashi pulled up his hitai-ate.

"Cyclops, my butt, you baka,"

"Yipe!" cried Sasuke seeing the Sharingan eye and scar hidden beneath the headband.

Sasuke looked to Obito, who had a scar over his own right eye, but both of his eyes were the same color, while Sasuke felt uncomfortable under Kakashi's multicolored gaze.

The silver haired ninja sighed and pulled back down the hitai-ate and turned to Obito, who was still looking at the menu, hoping Kakashi would drop all conversation there. There was no such luck.

"What are you doing here anyways?" asked the Hatake.

"Getting lunch, what else would you do at a ramen shop?" he asked. Kakashi almost had a good comeback when the ramen shop owner interrupted.

"Are you ready to order up?" he asked. Obito turned back to business.

"I'll have a bowl of miso ramen and a bowl of…" began Obito.

"Beef ramen," put in Sasuke.

"…and two glasses of water," finished Obito.

The owner turned to Kakashi.

"Chicken, kudasai," said Kakashi. The ramen owner nodded.

"So Kakashi what'd you been up to for the last five years?" asked Obito quietly after a while. (it is safe to say the Uchiha did not enjoy silence) Kakashi shrugged.

"I've been on and off…" he waved his hand as if it weren't worth the trouble to say. "an ANBU," said Kakashi.

"Oh," muttered Obito looking at the genius ninja. _Kakashi never fails to annoy me._ Kakashi nodded.

"So how about you?" he asked. Obito clenched his teeth then slowly drew a deep breath.

"Missions, you know, just the random missions that they won't trust Chunin with," he said trying not to act as though that was such a terrible thing. (He can't bear to look uncool in front of Sasuke)

"You're not like a sensei or any of that junk?" asked

Obito almost broke out laughing.

"Me…A SENSEI! I can barely get jutsus right myself, none the less teach them to Genin," choked Obito.

"When do I get to be a Genin?" asked Sasuke.

"Never," replied Kakashi with an evil grin.

The owner passed out their ramen and the three dug in.

Obito only got down about two mouthfuls (even though for Obito, that was nearing the whole bowl) when Anko appeared. Her dark purple hair tied back.

"Ohayo Gozaimasu," she said with a short bow. "Uchiha-kun (both Sasuke and Obito turned to her), Hatake-kun, the Hokage has summoned you."

A short looked was exchanged between Obito and Kakashi. Obito got up and pushed some money onto the counter. Kakashi did the same and Sasuke got up and followed Anko as she led them to the Hokage Tower.

The four came to the Third's Office.

"Anko, could you keep an eye on Sasuke?" whispered Obito to Anko. Anko blushed. (She thinks he's the best thing since sharp kunai)

"Hey, I can take care of myself!" piped up Sasuke. Obito bent over to whisper in Sasuke's ear, winking at Anko.

"Sasuke, could you keep an eye on Anko?" he whispered like it was a secret.

"Sure," Sasuke whispered back, giving his cousin a confident smile.

"Good, this shouldn't take too long."

Obito had no particular taste for the third Hokage. His reasoning behind his distaste was well…well, he couldn't put his finger on it but he figured it had something to do with the Third replacing Arashi-sensei after…well…

His thoughts were interrupted as the Hokage rose and gave them a short bow. They gave a deeper bow back.

"Hatake-sama, Uchiha-sama, its good that Anko was able to find you. Please, have a seat."

Obito sat down on one of the plush chairs. He remembered once when Arashi had taken them to his office and how he and Rin had bounced up and down on these very chairs… Kakashi sat down as well.

The Sandaime looked around the room furtively before continuing.

"I have called the two of you together for an incredibly important mission."

Neither Obito, nor Kakashi said anything in response to that grim statement. _I'm not going on any mission with Kakashi no baka, nope, never again._

"It is of vital importance that I ask you to take this mission. I have been told you two make a good tag team. So what is your answer?"

Kakashi looked up from staring at his feet, as though he had just realized the Hokage was talking to them. (Knowing Kakashi, he probably wasn't paying attention) Obito cocked his head to one side, something was wrong here.

"You ask us to take a mission, but what is the mission?"

The Third sighed. "I cannot tell you without knowing you will take it."

Kakashi's visible eyebrow raised.

"A mysterious, unknown mission. Sounds like fun, eh Obito-san?"

Obito thought otherwise. _I'm not going on a mission with you!_ "What would you rank this mission at?"

Kakashi rolled his eye.

"I would put it as an "A" ranked mission."

"Doesn't matter. Well Uchiha-kun? What'do you say?" Kakashi was staring at Obito. The Uchiha knew all eyes were on him, he could very well be deciding his own fate.

"Fine, we'll take it," he said with a painful sigh.

The Hokage smiled, relieved; he couldn't have found a better team. (Obito: _Yeah right!)_ The Sandaime clasped his bony hands together, setting his fierce gaze on the two jounin. "Now, for the finer details."

Sasuke leaned against the door straining to hear the quiet words.

"Uchiha-san, that's not a good idea," warned Anko. Sasuke turned and stuck his tongue out at her. Anko shrugged, he could find out on his own.

The Hokage beckoned them closer to hear the mission.

"First of all," he began. "There is a little spy at our door, excuse me a moment."

From nowhere he drew a kunai. With expert skill, the Sandaime hurled it at the door.

"Yipe!" came a cry from behind the door, then: "I told you so, let's wait outside, Uchiha-san."

The Hokage smiled at Obito. "Your cousin?" he guessed. Obito's face reddened with embarrassment.

"Yeah…"

"Your mission is…" the two leaned closer. Then the Sandaime whispered: "To infiltrate the Akatsuki…"

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**to be continued...**

**please review**

**-Hammy Uchiha**


	2. The Mission

**Ok firstly I would like to warn you that Sasuke's mom is SEVERELY ooc, so don't get all over me for that.**

**Note: I don't own Naruto, or Sasuke would have been able to meet his cousin.**

**Please Read and Review, or the Cyclops will come for you.**

**Chapter 2 The Mission**

"What!" both cried out at once.

"Hush… you've already agreed to this mission," said the Sandaime.

Obito stood up. "You didn't say this mission would be madness!"

The Sandaime was not amused. "It is not madness, we have reason to believe that the Akatsuki, and more specifically Orochimaru, is plotting something, quite possibly deadly against our village. We need to find out what, soon before they carry it out, then we need to stop them."

Obito's mouth hung open for a moment before he snapped it shut and swallowed. The old coot was serious.

"It's insane," he whispered.

"Maybe so, but it must be done."

"H…how?" stuttered Obito unable to imagine actually taking on such a quest.

"You two must become missing-nin," said the Sandaime sternly.

"And be hunted down by the ANBU?" asked Kakashi. The third nodded.

"I'll let the ANBU that you are not high priority captures." Kakashi nodded. Obito was still staring at the Third like he was totally insane.

"How long?" he asked. Kakashi slapped his forehead.

"Months, a year, maybe, depending on the how it goes. You want to be around Orochimaru, he's the one we're most concerned about."

"Orochimaru-sensei, Anko's teacher? Legendary Sannin?" asked Kakashi unable to believe his ears.

"Yes…" said the Third softly. "He's a tricky one with words, don't let him drag you down into that foul organization."

Obito was nodding, and the nods quickly became shaking of his head.

"It's crazy!" he cried.

"Yes, we've established that, Obito," returned Kakashi sitting back. "Well, I'm in."

"You're kidding," said Obito staring at Kakashi. The silver haired shinobi was still calm.

"No, I'm dead serious."

Obito shivered. This decision was going to ruin any sort of reputation he had made for himself within his clan. Not to mention it would break his mother's heart and make Sasuke hate him eternally. It was a lot to lose, at least to him.

_What would…Rin say? Or Arashi-sensei?_

Obito bit his lip; he knew what both would do.

"Fine," he whispered at last. "Fine, I'll do it, but I don't have to like it."

"Good," said the Sandaime. "You leave tomorrow morning."

Obito stepped out of the Hokage Tower into the blinding sunlight and humid heat of late August. Sasuke was sitting on a curb kicking pebbles, sulking. Anko leaned with a look of complete boredom against a light pole, watching Sasuke out of the corner of her eye. When Sasuke saw Obito, he leapt to his feet, and his face broke into a smile.

"Well?" he asked excitedly running up to Obito. "What cool mission did that old grouch give you?"

Kakashi answered before Obito could jeopardize their mission.

"No mission, it was a personal meeting regarding how academy students should treat their elders."

"No one asked you, Cyclops," replied Sasuke sticking out his tongue at the sliver haired shinobi.

"Careful with that tongue or a bird might come down and PLUCK! It's gone," said Kakashi grinning evilly at Sasuke. The little boy shuddered.

Anko came over to Obito.

"Good, you're back. Now you can try to watch that little imp," she said, her cheeks beginning to tinge pink.

"Arigato, Anko-chan," replied Obito with a grateful smile.

"No problem, Obito-kun," she answered blushing more and then she disappeared. (Before she could embarrass herself further)

"Ice cream?" asked Sasuke looking up at Obito. The older Uchiha scratched the back of his head.

"Sure." Sasuke bounced off.

"You coming?" asked Obito, since it was apparent Kakashi wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere else. The silver haired ninja considered for a minute.

"Only if **you're** paying."

Obito groaned hoping he had the money for all three of them.

As it turned out, he barely scraped up enough money. Obito paid for his cone last, as Kakashi and Sasuke sat down on a bench nearby. As he took the cone, he had to admit (despite the strain on his finances) it looked really, really good. He was about to take a lick when he was met by the imploring gaze of a little blonde boy. He was about Sasuke's age with whisker marks on his cheeks and big blue eyes. Obito recognized him instantly.

The demon fox.

Obito stopped. The demon in that boy had been sealed in him by Arashi-sensei. Hate rose up in Obito's throat. That demon killed his sensei. All thoughts stopped, as the boy lost his eye contact and looked away, having met another gaze of ice. Obito felt cold all over and berated himself for acting like a baka. He was just a little kid, he didn't ask for this… besides he was the Yondaime's… A faint smile came to Obito's face and he walked toward the boy, who backed away.

"Here, you can have it," said Obito handing the boy the ice cream. Then he gave the boy a big smile and turned to join Kakashi and Sasuke as the little boy stared back at him gratefully.

"Where's your ice cream?" asked Kakashi as Obito sat down empty handed.

"Not hungry," lied Obito hungrily recalling his not yet empty bowl of ramen he had had to abandon.

"Too bad, because it's **really** good," returned Kakashi smiling wickedly.

_Why do I always have to be so noble!_ Obito jammed his hands in his pockets growing hungrier by the moment. By the slow deliberate way Kakashi was licking his ice cream. Obito knew that he had seen through the lie.

'Gurgle' Obito's face paled.

"What was that?" asked Kakashi turning to Obito.

"Your stomach, you bottomless pit," replied Obito.

"Bottomless pit? Look who's talking, you fat lard," taunted Kakashi.

"Fat lard? You're nothing but a filthy…" Obito stopped as his watch began to beep at him. He looked to the sky. The sun was already beginning to sink.

"It's about time to be getting you home, eh Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke licked his fingers.

"Nope."

"C'mon I'll give you a piggy back ride," coaxed Obito, beginning to wonder what his aunt would do to him if Sasuke was exceedingly late.

"Your mother…" began Obito.

"Yipe!" Sasuke leapt up. "C'mon it's late!" he cried grabbing Obito's hand. "C'mon Obito-niisan, let's go!"

"Sayonara, Kakashi-san," said Obito.

"I'll come too, its on my way," replied Kakashi curious as to Sasuke's sudden change of heart on the mention of his mother.

"Fine," answered Obito. "But don't say something wrong…"

"Why?"

"She's…"

"She's…mean," answered Sasuke in a whisper.

They hurried on.

"Aniki?" asked Sasuke slowing as they neared the house.

"Nani?" asked Obito.

"Kudasai, can I stay with you, please? I…I…don't wanna go,"

Kakashi immediately saw the issue with this.

"Obito…we've got to…tomorrow," he said in a whisper.

"Yeah," answered Obito to Sasuke paying Kakashi no heed.

"But Obito-nakama…"

"Yeah, yeah, its fine Hatake-san," answered Obito. "We've still have to get your stuff and tell your Oka-san what's going on," he told Sasuke.

Sasuke half hid behind Obito as he knocked on the door. As luck would have it, Sasuke's mother opened the door.

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**to be contined...**

**Please Review **

**-Hammy Uchiha**


	3. Family

**Warning: I'm going to tell you again. Sasuke's mom is OOC yes I know this, which is why I'm warning you.**

**Secondly I know you are reading this so you have no excuse not to. pleaseth, with cherries on top, PLEASE review! I'm begging you! I lose motivation to write more, so if you don't review, you may never find out the ending. **

**Note: I don't own Naruto or any of the other super cool characters.**

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**Chapter 3: Family**

"Konbanwa…" then she saw who it was. Her eye twitched. "Oh it's only you Obito-chan, oh and you, musuko-san," she said. Sasuke slid further behind Obito, not daring to look out.

"Konbanwa, obasan," replied Obito with a slight bow. "Sas…"

"Oh and good evening to you too, Hatake-san," interrupted Sasuke's mother with a fake smile to Kakashi. "I find it hard to imagine a great jounin like yourself hanging around with my sister's son. I mean, Obito-chan, when are **you **going to be a jounin? You're already nineteen…"

"I am a jounin," answered Obito calmly trying not to let her discourtesies get to him.

"Obito was my nakama when we're genin. Actually, he's my only teammate left from that group," said Kakashi realizing he'd be the only one to get through to her, because she wouldn't even let Obito talk, and it didn't look like Sasuke was coming out of hiding anytime soon. "We were wondering, Uchiha-sama, is Sasuke could stay with Obito tonight."

She had to think about that for a moment. For one thing, it'd be getting rid of Sasuke for a while, but he'd be happy if she said yes. Difficult decision.

"Fine."

"Arigato, Oka-san," responded Sasuke ducking his head and making a run for it into the house. Mrs. Uchiha almost stuck her foot out to trip him but decided better of it. (Tripping him was the job of his own feet) For a while she glared as Kakashi and Obito, before deciding she had something better to do.

Sasuke ran full force towards his room. He came to the corner and his socks sent him crashing into the wall, he turned to keep running and smashed into Itachi.

"Sorry, Aniki," he whispered stumbling up. His older brother glanced indifferently at him. Itachi had been like this ever since he had joined the ANBU. Itachi used to be Sasuke's reason for coming home at night, until he had changed.

"Where are you going at such a speed, little brother?" asked Itachi showing one of his rare smiles. Sasuke's face lit up.

"I'm going to stay at Obito's house tonight, niisan," said Sasuke grinning happily. Itachi's smile faded away, like a photograph left in the sun.

"What is it, Nissan?" asked Sasuke.

"Nothing," answered Itachi with a sigh, his face becoming unreadable. He turned and walked off. Sasuke had no time to ponder his brother's odd behavior. He dashed to his room. Stuffing a small bag of the necessities, he headed back for the door.

As Obito and Kakashi waited, the door slid open and Itachi came out, stalking like he meant it. As he passed Obito he shot his cousin a sidelong look, cold and empty. Obito shuddered and before Kakashi could ask what the heck that was about, Sasuke came flying out the door.

"Let's go!"

Haru Uchiha lived outside the Uchiha district. She was an often overlooked member of the clan, and an outsider among such a great clan. Her husband, Ohiko, had been killed in the skirmishes before the Third Great Shinobi War. Her second child died in childbirth not long after. Her only other son, was an up and coming shinobi in the village hidden in the leaves. His name, was Obito.

She wasn't surprised when, Obito came home that night with one of his younger cousins. She embraced hi,

"Well, well, well our hero has returned at last," she said with a laugh. "It looks like there'll be three at the table tonight."

Obito grinned.

It was not the first time Sasuke had come over for dinner. Haru knew very well what her sister in law was like. It was almost like Sasuke was her second child.As soon as Sasuke had set down his bag in Obito's room and gone to help his aunt with dinner, Obito pulled out his pack. Wincing at how this deception was going to crush his mother, he stuffed in what he needed. Rope, scrolls, inks and brush, shuriken, extra clothes. He had been taught early to prepare for anything. Eye drops; he checked down a worn list Arashi had given the team when they were genin, so they'd never forget the necessities.

"Obito-kun! Time to eat!" called Haru. Obito stuffed his pack under his bed and ran to the table. They sat down and dug into the meal.

That night Obito said good night to his mother, and surprised her by giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks," he said. "For everything."

"Where'd that come from?" she asked. Obito shrugged an walked off.

He crawled into bed and Sasuke curled up in his sleeping bag. Before Obito knew it he awoke with a start. He would've cried out but there was a hand over his mouth.

"Shhh…" whispered Kakashi. "Don't wake Sasuke."

Obito rolled out of bed. He had gone to bed in his clotehs. Obito grabbed his pack and pulled on his goggles.

"Woah," he whispered. Kakashi looked really different. Then he realized Kakashi's head band, his hitai-ate, was gone.

"I'll wait outside," said Kakashi. "Leave you head band, we're off to be missing-nin." Then he was gone. Obito made his bed, to make it clear this was deliberate. He laid his hitai-ate where it could be seen. Then he turned to leave, but stopped.

His father's sword.

On a whim Obito pulled it from his closet and strapped it over his shoulder, adjusted his goggles and climbed out.

"Forgive me, Mom, Sasuke," he whispered and quietly joined Kakashi.

"Took you long enough," muttered Kakashi as they hurried off. Obito made no reply.

"How are we supposed to find the Akatsuki anyways?" asked Obito.

"We're not looking for the Akatsuki, we're looking for Orochimaru," replied Kakashi. Obito crossed his arms angrily.

"What if to prove our loyalty to them, they have us kill someone?" he demanded coming to a stop. Kakashi stopped as well.

"We'll worry about that when it happens," he said.

"But….this is impossible! We don't even know where he is!"

"We know Orochimaru's sector is growing their supposed lair, in the mountains," said Kakashi. Obito was glaring at him now.

"Well why didn't you just say that in the first place!"

Kakashi shrugged. "What's with that sword you're carrying?"

Obito looked away. "Like I'd tell a baka like you," he said. When Kakashi didn't press the matter. Obito turned back to him. "It's a memento of my father," he said, turning Kakashi's own phrase on himself. Kakashi looked away. He had forgotten that Obito was like him in the fact that neither had a father anymore. Arashi had been like a father to them.

Arashi.

Kakashi let out a sigh.

"Enough talk, let's get this mission going. The sooner we start the sooner we can get home."

Obito had to agree. That made sense.

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**to be continued...**

**Please review!**

**-Hammy Uchiha**


	4. Worthy

**I'm sorry I couldn't update yesterday, I had to write out a story stuck in my head, but here it is.**

**Note: I don't own Naruto**

**Please read and review or beware the Cyclops**

**Chapter 4: Worthy**

"Hey Obito-niisan, how do you get to be a jounin?" asked Sasuke, early the next morning. When no response came he stood up, prepared to tackle Obito to wake him when he saw it.

The freshly made bed.

The open window.

The hitai-ate.

Horror then confusion followed.

"Oba! Oba!" cried Sasuke.

"What is it, Sasuke-kun?" asked Haru groggily opening the door.

"H…He's gone! Obito-niisan is GONE!"

Haru took one look at the made bed and hitai-ate and fainted.

"ANIKI!"

Itachi looked up from his focus on his training. He turned around.

"What is it Sas…?"

Sasuke hugged his brother's legs tightly.

"He's gone! And oba collapsed and…!"

"Woah," said Itachi catching Sasuke by the shoulders and holding him back tightly.

"Who's gone?"

"Obito-niisan!" cried Sasuke. He reached up to rub the tears from his eyes.

"And who collapsed?"

"Aunt Haru," sniffled Sasuke.

"Did Obito leave anything?" asked Itachi gravely.

"H…His…h…headband, and he took the sword,"

"Uncle Ohiko's sword?"

Sasuke nodded still crying.

"Quit it, you baka," snapped Itachi. "Obito's a missing-nin now. He's a disgrace to our clan. A complete disgrace to all Uchihas."

Sasuke looked up through teary eyes in confusion at his older brother.

"I'm going to report his disappearance," said Itachi stalking off.

It had been four days. Quietly they moved, from shadow to shadow, each step taking them further from Konoha.

As night fell, Obito took first watch.

"We're never gonna find him," said Obito at last. Kakashi sat up. The same thought was running through his own mind.

"Maybe this was a mistake, but we've got a job to do. We've got to try, just give it a few more days."

Obito sighed, this mission felt totally wrong to him. Suddenly Obito froze.

Kakashi sensed it as well. His hand slid to his shuriken holster.

From nowhere came a giant snake. Kakashi nailed it with a kunai.

"What are two young shinobi such as yourselves doing here?" whispered a voice through the dark forest. Obito shook Kakashi a glance. This was their chance to shine, to be recognized. They had found Orochimaru.

As a member of ANBU, otherwise known as the Black Ops, or hunter-nin, it was Itachi Uchiha's job to hunt down renegade shinobi. And as an ANBU captain he had seen it all. It began with the headband.

The missing nin left them as a sign of their renouncement of their village and family. From there they became shinobi for hire, hired by gang masters, and criminals to do their dirty work. If they didn't do that they ended up as pawns of the Akatsuki, a terrorist organization.

Itachi had been there, seen that. And he had it in his mind to be the one to capture and kill his cousin. Obito was a renegade now, he was not family, he was a measuring stick of Itachi's skill. If Itachi could catch him and kill him, it meant Itachi was stronger than a jounin. As a plus, there was reason to believe Obito and Kakashi were working together.

If Itachi could kill Kakashi, master of the Chidori, then…he would be unstoppable.

Obito let Kakashi start it off. Kakashi had been a jounin much longer than Obito had, and as an on again/ off again ANBU, he knew what he was doing.

Kakashi broke his Sharingan (or rather Obito's Sharingan) into the action.

'_This fool doesn't know what he just got himself into,'_ came Kakashi's thought in Obito's head. They were linked by Kakashi's (Obito's) Sharingan.

'_No idea at all what he's gotten into,'_ replied Obito's thought.

"Fan out, we'll find him, Takashi!" called Kakashi.

"Takashi?" yelled Obito back.

"Your name, stupid?" _'Just agree you baka, we need to keep our identities secret,' _he thought.

'_Okay,'_ replied Obito. "Right Akira!" he yelled back. Kakashi raised an eyebrow and they split.

"Sharingan!" cried Obito igniting his own eyes. This way no ninjutsu or genjutsu could confuse him. Obito slid to a halt and flattened himself against a tree. Slowing his breathing he looked around the trunk. Orochimaru stood at ease, he knew he had been spotted and was waiting for Obito to jump in.

Obito's mind raced, he couldn't just jump in…or could he? Dropping his back pack Obito took a deep breath and then leapt in. Two kunai slammed into the tree Orochimaru had been standing in front of. Obito's Sharingan saw Orochimaru as he moved and knew instantly what the Sannin was planning.

"Katon Ryuuka no jutsu!" Obito sucked in a deep breath breathing fire at the Sannin. But Orochimaru came back with a fist straight into Obito stomach.

Obito gasped staggering back.

Kakashi leapt then, grasping both Orochimaru's wrists and holding a kunai at his neck.

"You lose, loser. Now tell us how we can get to the Akatsuki," demanded Kakashi.

"Who are you?" shot back Orochimaru glancing from Obito and his two Sharingan eyes to Kakahsi and his one.

"You're not worthy to know our names," spat Kakashi in disgust. Orochimaru decided at that moment that these two new shinobi would make great additions to his cell of the organization.

Suddenly he melt and Kakashi let go in disgust as the dopplegranger melted back into mud.

"You have potential," hissed the Sannin from the shadows. Obito glared toward where he could see the Sannin standing.

"If you're looking for the Akatsuki you've found it."

Kakashi faked shock, then fell to his knees and bowed. Obito asked no questions and followed suit.

"Great Lord Orochimaru," whispered Kakashi in mock awe.

"Konoha boys," murmured Orochimaru noting Kakashi's jounin uniform and Obito, with no uniform.

"Follow me…"

"Takashi," filled in Obito.

"And Akira," added Kakashi.

"You're boring, follow me," he said jumping off into the forest. Obito deactivated his Sharingan and followed Kakashi.

**-----------------**

**to be continued**

**Please review**

**-Hammy Uchiha  
**


	5. Trials

**Hmmm... typing stuff out of notebooks, has got to be the most annoying thing, **(that is besides not getting reviews)** Well anyways... chapter 5's shorter, but I promise to stick to this.**

**I will type all of this, and I will wait for the reviews.**

**Note: I don't own Naruto**

**Please Read and Review**

**Chapter 5: Trials**

Orochimaru led them at a breakneck pace, as if trying to see if they could keep up. Obito and Kakashi followed at their set pace. Prettty soon it was evident that this was not some random pace, but a test. The forest grew denser the deeper into it they went. In his mind Obito tried to keep track of the twists and turns so that they could get back home, but he began to lose track as the darkness deepened.

Their speed began to slack as it took all of their skill to track Orochimaru as he slipped in and out of their view.

Suddenly Kakashi drew to a halt.

"We've lost him," he stated. Obito could've guess that one.

"Well, what are we going to do?"

"Split up, and stay in contact through…"

"Yeah, yeah I know!" groaned Obito.

"Right. Now go!"

The two leapt off tuning all their skills into finding Orochimaru.

'_Nothing yet,'_ came Kakashi's sharp thought.

'_I don't even know what I'm looking for,'_ replied Obito…_ 'Maybe'_ he thought. _'Maybe he's using some ninjutsu to hide…'_ he wondered. Kakashi groaned and stopped listening, it was as bad as hearing Obito think to himself out loud.

"Sharingan!"

Obito's gaze swept the area. No deceptions…that he could see anyways. At that instant a kunai flew through the air. Obito barely dodged it. Instantly he sought its owner. Then bang! Another Kunai slammed into a tree nearby. Obito saw Orochimaru that time.

He tried the Katon again. Orochimaru jumped the flames andcame down from above flinging kunai as he came.

'_Still no sigh,'_ came Kakashi's complaint.

'_Not now, Kakashi no baka!' _shouted back a tense Obito thought.

'_What's up?' _asked Kakashi.

'_Get out of my head!'_ yelled Obito's thought with an evident tinge of pain.

Orochimaru smirked as one of his kunai clearly hit Obito in the shoulder. _This Uchiha isn't much of a fighter. He can't even dodge kunai._

Obito pulled out the kunai, his fiace tight allowing no emotion to cloud it.

'_Hey Obito what's going on?' _persisted Kakashi's thought.

"Get out of my head, I can't focus, bonehead!" yelled Obito… out loud.

_Plus the Uchiha's apparently lost his mind as well. No matter the Akatsuki has only one open position anyways. I'll just kill the weak one and take that half Uchiha, or whatever he is back to HQ to fill the spot._

Obito had no time to play mind games with Kakashi, no time to tell him what the hell was going on. Obito dodged another of Orochimaru's kunai.

"Is that the best you can do, fool?" he demanded. Orochimaru just smiled.

"Do you want more of a fight, punk, you pathetic Chunin?" returned Orochimaru forming hand signs Obito watched the hand signs his Sharingan already memorizing them.

"Here's your fight, chunin!" he cried launching himself at Obito, mouth open displaying snake fangs.

"Fang of the Snake!"

Obito made an attempt to dodge and tripped from the tree branch falling out of Orochimaru's reach. "Is that your best, old man?" scoffed Obito. "Oh and by the way, I was a **jounin** not a chunin, stupid!"

He pulled in a deep breath and released the flames again. He caught Orochimaru this time, just barely. Cursing , Orochimaru came at Obito again, this time with shuriken stars.

Out slid Ohiko's sword and chink, chink, chink, Orochimaru's stars were deflected. Orochimaru leapt to attack and smack Obito's knee jammed into his face. With a gasp Orochimaru fell back.

"You're dead, Takashi Uchiha!" spat Orochimaru trying to jab Obito in the eyes with his fingers.

"GAHH!" he cried as his fingers smashed into Obito's goggles.

"OWW!" cried the Sannin hopping back his fingers broken as result of the impact. Obito was horrified as the lenses of his goggles broke.

"Oh great," muttered Obito.

**---------**

**To be continued...**

**Please Review **(before I lose my mind and motivation)

**-Hammy Uchiha**


	6. Clash of Ninja

**YAY! after a month or so of putting it off, the next chapter is up!**

**Note: I don't own Naruto, if I did Obito wouldn't have died**

**Please Read and Review :)**

**Chapter 6 **Clash of Ninja

Sasuke walked home from the ninja academy. He was exhausted after their survival exercise. Starting from the day before, his class had been taken out into the forest, lead in wandering circles to a cliff where they ate lunch and were then told to find their own way back.

Sasuke was scratched and bruised and dirty; he had spent hours pushing his way through sharp grass, over gnarled roots and he had even swam across a pond. He had been one of the first to return, soon after followed by a shy girl named Sakura Haruno, and then an even shyer one named Hinata. One by one all the students in Sasuke's class trickled back in. Last of al the class reject: Naruto Uzumaki. Iruka-sensei had had to go out and find him.

Sasuke came to a stop at the dreaded fork in the road.

One street lead to the Uchiha Compound and the other to Aunt Haru's house. Sasuke looked from one to the other, indecision weighing heavily on his shoulders. Then he turned down the road to his Aunt's house.

---------------

Luckily for Orochimaru, Kakashi knew a little about healing and soon had Orochimaru's broken fingers in a splint. He didn't ask Obito how Orochimaru had broken the fingers or how Obito's goggles broke. Obito looked different though, without the goggles, older maybe, but less like a rookie ninja and more like a jounin.

"Before we go any further, boys, I need to tell you there is one spot open in the Akatsuki. You two of you need to fight for it, to the death," spoke old slither lips. This was the best way he could think of to get rid of Takashi (that is Obito).

Obito had feared this. Kakashi had feared this, but neither made a move or even showed that it mattered.

'_Well??'_ came Obito's horrified thought.

'_We'll fight to a stalemate. I'll go easy on you.'_

'_YOU will, will You?!' _shot back Obito's thought. _'You're on!'_

"We'll do it," spoke up Kakashi.

"Ready, set, go," said Orochimaru with no particular intrest.

'_Well here goes nothing,'_ thought Obito.

----------

Sasuke as he always did, could not give up the hope that when he pulled the doorbell, that Obito would be the one to open the door. Haru opened it instead and her face lit up at the sight of Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun!" she greeted him, reaching down to hug him, before he could protest that he was covered in dirt.

When Haru saw the grime on her clothes she could only laugh a shaky relieved laugh. She had been living her life in paralyzing fear since Obito had disappeared. Every time her doorbell rang, she was terrified it would be an ANBU captain telling her that he only child was dead.

Haru led Sasuke to the bathtub.

"You get cleaned up and then we'll eat," she told him, handing him a thick towel. Sasuke heated up the water and slipped into the tub for a quick wash.

Ten minutes later, Sasuke clean and in clean clothes entered the kitchen.

"Is Obito-niisan coming back?" he asked climbing up onto the counter. Haru stopped chopping the carrots and turned to face Sasuke.

"I don't know Sasuke-kun, we don't know why he left, but they said he's with Kakashi Hatake-sama. The black ops are out looking for them right now."

"You mean like Itachi-niisan, oba?"

"Yes,"

"So he'll go find Obito-niisan and the Cyclops and bring them back?" asked Sasuke eagerly.

_Bring them back dead._ She stared at the floor trying to tell herself that Obito would come back before the ANBU could catch him. She looked up to Sasuke, her eyes cold.

"Obito was a jounin, he knew the defenses, the secrets of our village, and out there he's a danger to our village. The ANBU don't rescue missing nin, Sasuke, they kill them."

It took a moment for Sasuke to absorb this and as he realized what his aunt was saying his eyes grew big and fearful. "So…" he whispered. "Obito's not coming back…ever?"

Haru wished she could say no. "Yes…" she answered. Sasuke looked down at his dangling bare feet.

"Then why did he leave?" cried Sasuke. "He must've known they would go to kill him!"

Haru looked away, back to the carrots she was chopping. _Maybe I wasn't a good enough mother…no.. 'Thanks for everything,' I remember him saying that the night he left._

"He did know," she told Sasuke at last. "He knew that his leaving put his life in danger…"

Sasuke stared at her for several moments. His fearful looking was slowly turning to a scowl. "What a baka," said the angry Uchiha boy at last.

-----

Kakashi launched himself at Obito, this would be just like old times when they had sparred. Obito was as ever a good fighter, at least in taijutsu. Obito hated fighting Kakashi, because it was incredibly one-sided. He could painfully tell that Kakashi was going easy on him.

Smash! His fist smacked into Kakashi's palm. Kakashi twisted Obito's arm around behind his back. Obito thrust a kunai back at Kakashi, coming nearly too close for comfort.

The two broke apart. Obito threw himself back into the fight. Then Obito got him; a fist in Kakashi's face. _This feels great._

"You bonehead!" spat Kakashi leaping back at Obito.

'_You know Uchiha-san, I always was the better ninja,' _came Kakashi's thought.

"My sword, you're a better ninja!" yelled Obito angrily. Kakashi's fist got Obito in the face this time.

Katon Rykuu no Jutsu! As Obito did the had signs so did Kakashi.

The two blew flames.

"Gah," coughed Obito barely rolling out of the way. "Akira no baka!" he spat.

"Confused?"

"No, two can play this game, copycat! Sharingan!" Obito's eyes gleamed. "You're dead, Akira!" cried Obito reaching for his kunai as Kakashi did as well. Obito grabbed three and flung them at Kakashi. The kunai of the two clashed in mid air.

Obito pulled out his father's sword.

"Copy this!" he cried singing Ohiko's sword in an arch at Kakashi.

Crash! There was an air shattering class of metal.

"What the hell?" cried Obito in horror.

-------------

Itachi stood, awkwardly in the lizard suit. Man oh man, this was embarrassing.

Sasuke rolled on the floor laughing.

"Hahahahawhahahaha! You're a reptile! Hahahawhahahah aha ha ah ha!"

Itachi did not respond but frowned at the mirror. Why did Shisui have to insit that they dress up like lizards?!

Itachi sighed. Shisui was insane. He left the room and the house, leaving Sasuke on the floor still laughing his head off. Shisui was waiting in a yellow lizard suit.

"Hey Itachi!" he called joining his best friend.

"This costume makes me want to beat you up," returned Itachi. Shisui laughed.

"No way, you look cool like that," returned Shisui.

"Ha…ha," returned Itachi. "Why couldn't we have dressed up normal?"

"Cuz, it's a _costume_ party, Itachi no baka, _COSTUME."_

"Yeah, why a lizard though?"

"They're ferocious," replied Shisui with a straight face. Then he burst into laughter.

"You're so hilarious, Itachi-san!"

Itachi couldn't resist, Shisui looked so ridiculous, that he couldn't help but smirk with amusement.

------------------

"I don't need a sword to defeat you, fool," said Kakashi deflecting Obito's strike with a kunai.

There was a shriek as Obito tried again. The light blade scraped heavily against Kakashi's firm handed kunai.

'_We'd better wrap this up,'_ thought Obito dodging back panting heavily.

'_Total agreement with you there, Uchiha-san. If you can keep from getting destroyed, I'll end it with a bang. My Chidori,'_

'_No,'_

"_No what? Are you scared?'_ taunted Kakashi.

'_I'll end it, he already knows how good you are, he's seen you toying with me using a kunai against a sword. You're gonna have to dodge really well though, I've never tried it out in battle before…'_

'_Do I want to know? What before?'_

'_You'll see,'_

'_Okay, but don't try to kill me too bad, what ever it is may be unstable and you might end up killing me for real,'_

'_That wouldn't be such a bad thing,'_ mutter Obito's thought.

'_What was that?'_

'_Oh nothing! I'll try not to,'_ replied Obito. He straightened and sheathed his father's sword.

"Prepare yourself," he warned.

"Bring it on, buddy, bring it on."

Obito took a deep breath. This was going to be interesting. As he gather and focused his chakra, the disaster he had created developing this jutsu flashed through his mind. He formed the hand seals and the chakra focused into it quickly becoming visible. Unlike Kakashi's Chidori, Obito's jutsu was a flaming orange color. Obito took another deep breath. _Here goes nothing._ He was already running at Kakashi.

Kakashi was wide eyed.

"What the hell is that?!"

Obito's teeth clenched and he smirked to himself. _That's right Kakashi, be afraid, be very afraid._

Orochimaru's eyes widened. _Maybe this kid has potential after all…_

Kakashi suddenly realized that moving would be a good idea.

'_MOVE!'_ sounded Obito's yell in Kakashi's head. _'I can't miss you if you don't MOVE!!'_

Kakashi barely moved in time. Obito's jutsu slammed into a tree.

All it left was a small indent.

Kakashi almost laughed with relief but, as Obito knew it wound, the trunk of the tree shuddered and then there was a sudden horrific explosion blowing away a huge portion of the tree's trunk.

"Akira no baka!" yelled Obito as the tree tipped and began to fall straight for Kakashi and Orochimaru.

Obito was about to shove Kakashi out of the way when Kakashi stopped him.

'_Help me catch it, to prove our loyalty to snake face over there,'_

'_We'll be crushed!'_

'_Alone maybe, but there's two of us,'_

'_Bonehead!'_

Obito and Kakashi braced for it.

The tree smacked down with an incredible power. The two boys wavered and it looked as though it was over.

"One, two, HEAVE!" shouted Kakashi and with a joint effort the two tossed it off to the side. Breathing heavily Kakashi raised his hand. "High…five," Obito met his hand in a swift high five and bent over his knees, breathing in heavy gasping breaths.

"Well, well, well, what a nice little team you two make. Impressive jutsu, Takashi. I think we'll make an exception and let both of you in, maybe,"

Obito let out an inaudible sigh of relief. It was over; they were in… at least for now.

---------------

**To be continued...**

**Please review. The more reviews I get, the more I'm inspired to keep typing this up.**

**Thanks for your support.**

**-Hammy Uchiha**


	7. The Hunt

**I'm back from the dead!!! or at least back from nanowrimo!**

**anyways, here's the next chapter I've been trying to upload for the last three days, enjoy**

**Note: I don't own Naruto**

**Please read and review before the abs are forced to hunt you down.**

**---------------**

**Chapter 7 The Hunt**

**Two months into the mission:**

Obito sighed flipping through another pile of scrolls.

They had been denied actual positions in the Akatsuki, because Orochimaru had dilly dallied about it and they had been beat to the spot by a blonde named Deidara. It also didn't help that the two had nonexistent criminal records. They were stuck as subordinates under Orochimaru. Technically that was where they wanted to be, as close as could be to Orochimaru.

But all Obito could dig up was studies on the effects of sound.

Something was definitely going on, but how it had anything to do with Konoha was beyond Obito's comprehension.

Plus it was stuffy in the Snake Lair.

It was raining in Konoha.

"Musuko-san! Time to get up!" came Sasuke's mother's call. Sasuke pulled the blankets further over his head.

"NO! I hate school! Just leave me alone!" he yelled back pulling the pillow over his head.

"Sasuke no baka, get down her right now!" came his mother's yell again.

"NO!" he yelled back.

"Sasuke-kun," came a commanding voice. Sasuke poked his head out.

"Aniiiiki," he whined. "I don't want to go."

"Sasuke-kun, if you want to be a shinobi, you _have_ to go," returned Itachi calmly. "If you hurry, I can walk you to school," offered Itachi.

"Really?" asked Sasuke.

"Really. Hurry though,"

Sasuke practically jumped out of bed. In minutes he was dressed, school bag over one shoulder.

"Let's go," said Itachi.

"K, Aniki," said Sasuke in a sing-song voice.

Itachi popped open an umbrella, with the Uchiha emblem on it.

"C'mon, little brother,"

Sasuke hopped out of the door in his rain boots.

"Here," said Itachi bending down. Sasuke climbed onto his brother's shoulders, taking the umbrella. Itachi smiled and began the trek to the Academy.

'_Kakashi-san, its been two and half months,'_thought Obito, who to an unsuspecting looker on, looked like he was meditating.

'_What are we supposed to do then, eh, Obito-san? Any bright ideas on your end?'_ returned Kakashi's thought. He lay on his back in his bed in his own quarters.

'_I don't know! We can't just keep going through his same materials and hope sooner or later we'll see what Snake Face is up to. He's obsessed with a lot of things, but nothing has anything to do with Konoha,'_ shot back Obito. _'I say we leave, mission completed; he's not plotting anything….anything against Konoha anyways.'_

'_His plans are probably in his quarters,' _commented Kakashi._ 'He's not going to just make it easy, like leaving it where someone could stumble upon it.'_

'_I hadn't thought of that,' _admitted Obito.

'_That's your problem, you don't think at all,' _muttered Kakashi.

'_I didn't think old Snake Face was that smart.'_

'_Don't underestimate the enemy, now leave me be. We'll discuss this later, I'm going to sleep.'_

Obito sighed aloud. Right about now he just wanted to go home.

It had been almost three months, and Orochimaru had finally come up with a mission for his two promising subordinates. He did not like how they spent their days in his personal library supposedly 'studying.' They trained too, but neither hard nor extensively. He did not trust either of them, but especially no the dark haired Uchiha, whatwashisname, Takashi. He did not sneak particularly well and he knew it.

They were stealthy, but Akira more so than Takashi.

From what Orochimaru had seen, Takashi pack on heck of a jutsu but how he had ended up jounin was beyond comprehension.

It was late one evening.

"You're slow, Obito," said Kakashi at last. "You're never gonna beat me at the speed you go."

Obito kicked the dirt. He was never going to get better than Kakashi. He was always one step behind, it seemed. He made no reply to Kakashi's comment but took his ready stance again.

"Let's go in," said Kakashi with a bored yawn.

"No, let's run it again," insisted Obito.

"We've been out here for six hours, I'm tired, and hungry."

"Then go in, I'm going to run it again," returned Obito.

"Okay but I wouldn't recommend you doing this to yourself, old Snake Face could send us on a mission at any time."

Obito shrugged.

"Suit yourself," replied Kakashi walking off.

Obito turned back his focus and ran forward to begin the exercise again.

Finally around the time the sun was almost gone Obito sank to his knees. He couldn't do it again, he was too tired. Darkness began to descend on the lair's surrounding forest.

'_Hey baka, Snake Face wants to talk to us!' _

Panting Obito rose to his feet, but his legs felt like jelly.

'_Fine, where?'_

'_The meeting hall, where else?' _

Obito stumbled off.

Orochimaru and Kakashi were waiting.

"You're late," hissed Orochimaru. Obito gave them a tired sheepish smile.

"A black cat crossed my path so I had to go the long way,"

Kakashi rolled his eyes, typical Obito excuse.

"Where did you see this black cat?" asked Orochimaru. Obito may have been imagining it but the Snake Master sounded terrified.

"Right outside," answered Obito. Temporarily distracted Orochimaru seemed to have forgotten why he was there, and kept looking around for that black cat.

"You called us here because…?" hinted Kakashi.

Orochimaru snapped back to himself.

"It has occurred to me that you two are growing lazy around this dump. SO I have come up with a mission for you. You're both Uchihas right? So burn down the Uchiha Compound,"

Kakashi decided not to argue the fact that he WASN'T an Uchiha, but turned to see Obito's expression.

The Uchiha's face was blank and unreadable, suddenly reminding Kakashi of Itachi.

"Right," said Obito firmly. "We'll go tomorrow."

"Dismissed," said Orochimaru with a wave of his hand.

Obito stumbled for the door, his legs still throbbing with pain.

"Don't you ever get sick of being right?" he spat at Kakashi.

"Not what I expected you to say, but no, I never get sick of being right and rubbing it in your face.

**----------------**

**to be continued...**

**please review**

**-Hammy Uchiha**


	8. BURN

**I'm doing good, two chapters in two days. This is the last chapter from my notebook, so I guess I'm going to have to start working on Chapter 9.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, I really love hearing what you have to say about this crazy story.**

**Note: I don't own Naruto**

**Please read and review.**

**Chapter 8 BURN**

They were off at daybreak walking back to the clutches of the ANBU. Obito hadn't flipped out yet about their mission, and Kakashi was tense. Every moment he expected Obito to finally stop and turn on him yelling: 'What the hell are we doing??'

But Obito was quiet, his face still unreadable, still foreign without his goggles.

So it was Kakashi who came to a stop.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING?!" he cried. Obito turned to him still unreadable.

"I can't do this," he said. "But Kakashi if we don't we won't find out what old snake face is up to. All my clan, all our village could suffer if we don't temporarily harm their homes."

Kakashi knew Obito was right, but was confused as to how Obito had become the voice of reason in their team of two.

"In a couple of days," Obito explained as they started off again. "It will be the night for the annual clan meeting. Everyone, absolutely everyone goes. That'll be when we can start the fire. If we're quick they'll never know who did it."

Kakashi thought this was a good idea, but it sounded easy….too easy. He said nothing though and they hurried on to meet their dead line. A day and a half later, Kakashi and Obito were positioned out of sight in a borderline of trees outside the Uchiha compound. Once it was dark they would set the compound ablaze.

As evening fell Obito grew more nervous. He hated to think that with his clan's own technique he would burn down their homes.

"If it would make things better," said Kakashi. "I'll give them a heads up that their homes are burning."

"How?" asked Obito still looking worriedly at the complex. With a poof, their suddenly was a little girl in an Uchiha clan shirt beside Obito. Her dark hair was done up in pig tails.

"Like this bonehead," came Kakashi's comment in the sound of a little girl's voice. Another time Obito would have made fun of Kakashi, but he was too tense.

"Good," he said and began the series of hand signs that were burned into his mind by trial and error.

Katon Ryuuka no jutsu! In one breath the nearest homes began to burn in the inferno of Obito's jutsu.

"Go, quick, Kakashi!" he yelled forming the signs again, aiming deeper into the complex.

"Katon Ryuuka no jutsu!"

"Sasuke-kun!" cried Kakashi running up to Obito's cousin who was now at his transformed eye level.

"Look! There's lots of smoke coming from the compound!"

Sasuke turned and instantly saw the dark billowing smoke.

"Niisan look!"

"Hush otoko-kun, there's a meetin…" Itachi froze.

"Father!" he yelled to their father, head of the clan who was talking. "Look!" All eyes turned in horror to the smoke rising at the horizon. Itachi was the first to run and alert the ANBU. By then Kakashi disguised as a little Uchiha was gone.

"There, over there, last spot Obito!" directed Kakashi. His sharp gaze scanned the area, they were still good, but not for long. Obito wearily performed the hand signs again.

"Hey you! In the tree!"

Instantly kunai nailed into the tree, thrown by the black ops agents.

"Let's get out of here!" Kakashi knocked an exhausted Obito out of the kunai's way. Obito blinked off sleep he had no had for two days and took off after Kakashi.

The two missing nin ran with all the strength they could muster.

The ANBU were closing in.

"We've come too far to fail," said Obito.

"They won't win without a fight!" returned Kakashi drawing kunai. He launched them back at the pursuing ANBU. A cry assured him that they were still there.

"Do you think they saw us?" asked Obito.

"Most likely, if not they probably saw your exclusive Uchiha jutsu."

"Crap," muttered Obito.

"We can't lead them to Snake Lips," said Kakashi at last.

"Why not?" returned Obito dodging a low branch. "We'll fix the problem right there."

"No, Orochimaru is strong, he'd wipe out the ANBU and we'd never know what he was up to because we could never get close to him again."

Obito decided Kakashi was right.

"Then how do you propose we lose them?" asked the Uchiha.

"The desert."

"Oh no," groaned Obito.

"Oh yes."

The sandy wasteland was hardly a good place to lose people, unless you could outrun or outsmart them. The shifting sands and howling winds effectively covered tracks, but besides that Kakashi and Obito were running into the worst possible place.

The wind hit them like a blast from the pits of hell. Obito wished he still had his goggles as they squinted against the blowing sand and grit.

"Urgh," grumbled the Uchiha as they staggered against it. Kakashi doggedly plowed forward.

"Hang onto my jacket, baka, or we're sunk!" yelled Kakashi.

"Why do I have to touch your filthy vest?" demanded Obito angrily.

"If we don't stay together, we'll never be able to meet up again," yelled back Kakashi, "We could use rope, but I didn't bring any,"

"HA!" cried Obito pulling out his rope. "I win, baka!" Kakashi grudgingly took one end of the rope and they walked on.

When they were genin, Arashi had brought them on a mission to Suna across the sea of sand. The great Yellow Flash had effectively used the desert to lose pursuers then as they were attempting to now. This was no longer just to lose the ANBU it was to see if they had learned anything from their teacher.

* * *

"Hurry up, they're getting away!" yelled Itachi. Shisui caught up with his friend.

"Buddy, they're as good as gone," he said looking into the sandstorm. Itachi was bristling with anger.

"NO!" he growled. Shisui caught Itachi's arm.

"Just chill, they're not high priority captures, they'll probably die our there anyways," he tried to convince Itachi. Itachi, growling slapped Shisui's hand away. The rest of the squad caught up. They were exhausted. Itachi let out an angry sigh. _Urgh…you will pay, Obito, I guarantee it._

"Let's go back!" he ordered reluctantly to the squad. There was a weary cheer that went up among them as they turned around.

* * *

Obito collapsed breathing heavily at the edge of the forest. They had circled back to. Kakashi dropped down to the ground beside him, panting.

"Do you… think we lost 'em?" panted Obito as he recoiled up his rope and put it back in his pack. Kakashi shrugged.

"Maybe," he answered closing his eyes and running a shaking hand through his silver hair. Obito groaned shaking his head to get the sand out of his hair, and wiping the grit from his face. Sand, sand everywhere!

"I hate the desert," he said shaking his shirt as well. He kicked off his sandals and shook those off too. Sand spilled out on the sparse grass.

"Well, let's go for all we know, they're still on our trail," said Kakashi standing up and stretching. Obito had laid back in the thin grass, still clutching his sandal, fast asleep.

Groaning Kakashi shook his head and sat back down.

**------------------------------**

**to be continued...**

**please review**

**-Hammy Uchiha**


	9. 9&10 When Sound Began

**I'm so sorry for making you wait forever for this chapter, ahem...chapters. I'm putting the last two together like this because the last one needs to be read cuz you're all dying to know what becomes of Itachi, right?**

**Anyways...**

**Note: I don't own Naruto, that is Kishi-sensei's priviledge. **

**Please Read and Review, I want to know what you think of the ending...**

without further randomness... the final chapter(s) you've all been waiting for...

**Chapter 9 When Sound Began**

Orochimaru was, at the least, surprised when Kakashi and Obito returned alive. In fact he was almost disappointed.

"Well? Where are the ANBU?" he asked when they appeared back in his library one morning, reading scrolls, like two fat lard scholars.

"Back in Konoha," replied Kakashi pushing his scroll away and reaching for another.

"Didn't you burn down the compound?"

"Yeah," replied Obito. Orochimaru looked from one to the other in confusion.

"But where are the ANBU?" he asked again.

"They went back," said Kakashi. "We lost them in the desert." Orochimaru glared at the two for a long minute.

"This report needs a check," he said. "I'll be back in half an hour," he replied and vanished. Kakashi knocked his chair over as he leapt up and Obito vaulted over the chair as they ran down the dark cold corridors of the Snake Man's lair.

"There!" pointed out Kakashi to Orochimaru's room, they slipped in as silently as they could. Kakashi quietly approached the Sannin's desk. Quickly he sorted through the papers as Obito sat back on the Snake Master's bed.

"Obito!" snapped Kakashi. "What the heck do you think you're doing??"

"Seeing if he sleeps on a bed of steel needles," replied Obito. Kakashi appeared as though he was seriously considering strangling his teammate.

"Stop tempting fate and come help me look for Slither Lips' plan," he said angrily. Obito hopped off and joined Kakashi over the desk. Kakashi's quick eyes were scanning over paragraphs of one page and Obito randomly picked up a scroll.

"This is it," he said.

"Why would that be it? And how you know? You haven't even opened it," said Kakashi. Obito pushed the scroll in his face.

"Read the words: Evil Plans," he said pointing to the title of the scroll. "Sheesh, and they call you a genius."

"Well if you're so smart open it up and quit wasting our time, he could come back any second."

Obito quickly unfastened the string tied around the scroll and spread it open. The two quickly read through his notes.

"There," pointed Kakashi to the last section. Obito swallowed as he read, his face growing tight.

"That's bad," he said quietly after a minute. "That's really bad…"

"Alright," said Kakashi rolling up the scroll and sticking it in his pack. "Let's go."

"Let's go where?" hissed the voice behind them. Kakashi and Obito turned slowly to see the Sannin standing behind them looking hungry.

Snakes broke through the floor to attack the two and to retrieve the scroll. Obito and Kakashi dove out of the way already running for the door. Snakes leapt up there as well.

"Alright Slither Lips," said Kakashi. "If that's the way you want to play…" he ignited the Chidori, and rushed the Sannin. The Sannin was not shocked and suddenly he released a terrible genjutsu. Obito's death flashed before his eyes, blood everywhere. In horror he fell to his knees, weak and paralyzed with fear. Nearby Kakashi swayed uneasily not faring much better than his teammate. Orochimaru laughed at both of them.

"For all your surprises I expected better from you two," he said coldly. Obito shuddered; they had come too far for it to end like this. The Snake Man approached Kakashi who had the scroll. All of Obito screamed for him to get up and stop acting like a petrified loser.

'_Kakashi! Move you idiot!'_ yelled Obito's thought, ringing loudly in Kakashi's head. His one dazed eye looked up at Orochimaru still coming at him but he was still too frozen to move. Obito's fist slowly clenched, he had to do something!

Obito's fist was clenched so tight that his knuckles were white, and he was digging his fingers into the palm of his hand. The pain in his hand was waking him up, he dug into his palm harder. Till he forced himself up, Orochimaru was bending down to grab Kakashi's scroll as Obito quickly ran through the hand signs of the only thing he could think of.

_Katon Ryuuka no jutsu!_

Obito took in a deep breath and blew with all his might at the Sannin. That caught the Snake Master off guard, and he barely managed to dodge it. Obito ran forward dragging Kakashi to his feet.

"Run you baka!" he cried. Kakashi stumbled.

_I could take the scroll and run…and just leave him here._ Obito knew he couldn't do that though, couldn't live with the guilt of leaving his teammate behind. The Sannin was bouncing back from the fire already, snakes were headed towards them.

"Idiot!" cried Obito lifting Kakashi up and running. Several snakes sunk their fangs into his leg, and attempted to hold him back. The Uchiha didn't have time to mess with the snakes and ripped them from the ground. The Snake man was now chasing after him.

"Give me back my scroll, you brats!" he cried, as Obito stumbled around a corner, he could see the exit now, morning sunshine gleaming. The Uchiha made it out and vanished into the forest.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," called Orochimaru an hour later as he scoured the forest for the Uchiha and his partner. Obito, with a camouflage jutsu, was hidden in the trees. Kakashi too, had disguised himself, and the two waited as the Sannin passed several times below, searching. As minutes passed, turning themselves into hours, Obito's head began to spin. His ankle throbbed angrily; he swayed uneasily in the tree.

'_Hey, what do you think you're doing?' _demanded Kakashi, steadying his teammate against the tree.

'_Those snakes…you don't think they had poison…do you?'_ replied Obito. Below them Orochimaru stopped, sniffing his air. The two ninja in the tree went rigid.

"I know you're still out there," he called. "I can smell your fear…" he said before moving on. Obito swayed further, spots swimming before his eyes.

'_They probably were, you don't look so great," _said Kakashi quietly pushing Obito back, he reached for his pack, and searched for something to tide the Uchiha over until they could get some real medical help. With his kunai, he opened the wounds further, to hopefully get out some of the poison, though Obito had run a long way already. Then he bound it tightly and waited for the coast to clear. Finally with the genjutsu of a black cat, Kakashi managed to chase Orochimaru off of their trail.

Quietly Kakashi nudged his teammate.

"Let's go now," he said, but the Uchiha had passed out. "Great, just great," groaned Kakashi lifting up his buddy and heading home.

**Chapter 10 The Problem in the Clan**

Report given, Kakashi headed home leaving his unconscious teammate under the care of the med nin.

Obito woke up just as meal time in the hospital was ending. He was aching for a home cooked meal, and silently he snuck out of the hospital room. Slightly limping he headed for the Uchiha compound, wondering how bad the damage was from his crime. As he walked he fastened back on the headband Kakashi had left on his bedside table. As Obito walked his ran a finger reassuringly over the symbol on the headband. It was comforting to feel it there. They had survived that mission, when it could have so easily turned fatal. The Uchiha reached the fork in the road and stopped looking down both ways.

Sasuke was going to kill him for being gone so long. Even as he reached the gates and saw most of the buildings weren't even damaged that bad, he felt uneasy. It wasn't the uneasy sense that he was an outcast returning home, but more like something else. The Uchiha walked past the gates and toward his cousin's house.

There was yelling coming from within the house. Obito stopped wondering if he should've just gone home. There was a scream from within and the soft scraping of a sword being drawn.

"What are you doing here? Who are you?"

The voice from behind startled Obito and he turned to see Sasuke looking confused at him.

"Sasuke?" asked Obito, it seemed to him his cousin had grown up since he had last seen him. The boy blinked at him, anger pushing its way onto his face.

"Who are you?" he demanded. Obito wondered what he looked like that his cousin, the boy who was like a little brother to him didn't recognize him.

"It's me, Obito," he answered.

"You're not Obito," insisted Sasuke, "You can't be Obito."

"No! Itachi!"

The two were forced to. Obito slid closer to the door reassuringly feeling the hilt of his father's sword within reaching distance. He slid the door open a crack to watch as Fugaku pushed his wife back, becoming the shield between her and their son. Itachi's sword was drawn, his eyes gleaming red with the Sharingan. He stopped his approach on his parents and turned…looking straight at Obito. The older Uchiha felt his skin crawl beneath such hatred blazing from his cousin's gaze. Obito could feel Sasuke right behind him. Straining to look past him.

Itachi turned from Obito back to his parents and moved forward at inhuman speed. It was Obito who stayed his murderous hand, he caught Itachi with an arm around his neck as Sasuke ran to his father's side. Fugaku swayed uneasily as if wounded sinking to one knee and Mikoto had already fainted on the floor. Sasuke planted himself in front of Fugaku not about to move.

Itachi threw Obito off and turned on his cousin. Obito barely blocked the first wild swing of Itachi's blade.

"You're the missing nin who set fire our complex, Obito-kun," he hissed through clenched teeth. Obito swallowed, he could take Itachi on…at least he hoped so. The next swing was harder to block and nearly clipped Obito across the arm. Their swords locked as it became a test of will.

"Orochimaru didn't kill me, and neither will you," said Obito quietly as Itachi pressed forward on his blade forcing Obito back. The older Uchiha winced as the flames of pain in his leg returned. Then Itachi's eyes flickered, as Obito watched helplessly, the Sharingan changed into the Mangekyo. Terrible things flashed before Obito, flames and screams and all of his friends dying and death…his own death. Awful things.

"I've seen worse," whispered Obito dimly, forcing the illusion out of his mind with the clear recollection of Rin's death, of his sensei's death, real memories not genjutsu. With a forceful shove Obito pushed Itachi back.

"Death doesn't come close to watching your friends die…and knowing there's nothing in the world you can do to save them," Obito said. Itachi remember Shisui…how he had ended, floating down the river. A shudder ran through him. He took several steps back.

"I will make you pay Obito, bet your life on it," said Itachi and he was gone. Obito let his sword slip from his grip and fell back to the floor panting, the Mangekyo's horrid gaze lingered in his mind even after Itachi had gone. Doors slammed open and there were the ANBU alerted to the uproar in the main house.

"And here I thought all you did was sleep and eat ramen," came a voice from behind Obito. An ANBU mask was staring at him, but Obito recognized the voice.

"I was about to say the same thing, baka," replied Obito. ANBU were already scouring the area looking for Itachi, but he was long gone.

Fugaku had staggered up, leaning heavily against one of the ANBU. Obito stood up as well, trying to brush of everything that had just happened.

"Are you really Obito who left us?" asked the head of the clan as Sasuke stood up too still looking at Obito without recognizing his cousin. Obito nodded, wondering if the lack of his goggles were the reason for everyone's confusion.

"You saved us," said Fugaku with a bow, "For that we thank you."

"No, I really am Obito," insisted he grinning. Recognition was beginning to form on Sasuke's face.

"Niisan!" he cried running forward and hugging his cousin's legs fiercely.

"You have become a worthy ninja," murmured Fugaku brushing off the ANBU so that he could stand on his own, "A ninja worthy of wearing the fan of the Uchiha on your back."

"As heartwarming as this is," said Kakashi who was still standing nearby, "I hope you wouldn't mind if I borrowed the worthy Uchiha to help us looking for Itachi," he said. Fugaku smirked and nodded.

"Go right ahead."

Obito turned to leave, but Sasuke was still holding onto him.

"Don't leave aniki," he whispered.

"I'll be back, I swear, ramen for lunch tomorrow, you know where to find me," he told his little cousin. Sasuke finally let go, tears running down his face.

"You swear?"

"I cross my heart and hope to die," said Obito with a grin.

"Alright, alright, let's go Prince Charming," growled Kakashi dragging Obito off. Outside a cold wind was blowing and hunting in the shadows were ANBU. There were no footprints, no indication of wear Itachi had gone, just silence.

"We've lost him," said Obito quietly, "There's no way you'll find him."

Kakashi was grumbling under his mask.

"Hey, you did turn that scroll into the Hokage, didn't you?" asked Obito. Kakashi froze thinking back…had he?

"Uh oh…" he whispered.

Itachi came to a stop in the forest and smirked violently. His plan had been carried out… in almost flawless detail, minus the part where he had planned to wipe out his clan. He wasn't concerned; he had obtained a greater prize, right from the pack of that one unsuspecting ANBU.

He gripped the scroll marked: Evil Plans, and headed off into the night.

Grumbling and still feeling like beating up Kakashi further, Obito went home. It was late by then, and he was starving. He also recognized that he could probably go for a nice hot shower and a good bed to sleep in. He pulled the key out from under the mat by the back door and pushed it into the keyhole. With a click the door opened and Obito slid the key back under the mat. Quietly he went into the house shut the door and kicked off his sandals, and set down his sword. He was turning the corner to the kitchen when his mother leapt out with an encyclopedia and hit him over the head.

"That'll teach you to rob my house!" she cried as the dark haired boy slumped to the floor. She then recognized the dirty shirt he was wearing with the red and white Uchiha fan on the back. She dropped the book with a cry and knelt by her son.

"Obito-kun! What have I done?!?" she cried nudging his shoulder.

When Obito came to there was a nice pack of ice on his head and he was laying the couch. His mother was looking worriedly at him. When she heard him groan and reach to feel the bump on his head she came running.

"Oh Obito-kun, are you alright? I just…I just thought you were a burglar sneaking in…" she said, touching his face to assure her it really was her son come back home alive.

"Its okay," assured Obito catching her shaking hands as he sat up. "I'm fine, I just thought…ooh…I just thought you were probably asleep…" He stopped as his sobbing mother was hugging him tightly, her tears dampening his shoulder.

"I'm just so glad you're alive," she sobbed. "Don't ever do that again, you hear me?"

"I won't," Obito choked, trying to assure her as she was squeezing the life out of him. Finally he managed to slip out of her chokehold. Wearily he slid back down on the couch, his head hurting. His mother spread a blanket over him, in her motherly manner, hovering to see if there was something she could do to make up for knocking her son out with an encyclopedia.

"Ooh," whispered Obito in pain as his head was throbbing. He looked up at the anxious face of his mother and gave her a weary grin. "If you wouldn't mind, Mom, I could really go for a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of ramen."

**-----------------**

**Thanks for being so paitient with me, I couldn't get any time until recently...**

**Please review, and thanks for making it this far.**

**Sincerely, **

**Hammy**


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